1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates vehicle emissions interfaces.
2. Description of Related Art
From 1996-present, vehicles have onboard diagnostics which allow technicians and emissions test stations to evaluate the vehicle's condition. The vehicle's ECU was designed from the factory to continuously test its own emissions and only set the emissions monitors to “ready” once those tests have successfully completed. If the tests are not completed, or if they have failed, the monitor status is reported as “not ready”.
When vehicles are brought in for state emissions, they are tested by a state-authorized facility that plugs a scantool into the car's OBD-II port. The scantool checks the ECU to see if any trouble codes are present, and if all of the vehicle's emission monitors have passed. If all of the monitors have passed and no trouble codes are present, the vehicle passes the states emissions test. If any trouble codes are present or if any of the monitors have not completed their tests, the vehicle fails the state emissions test. In many states, this emissions test is required for annual or bi-annual registration.
However, emissions testing places the testing equipment used to determine if the vehicle has passed emissions under great stress. For example, the diagnostic cable that connects the vehicle to the emissions testing device must be plugged and unplugged into the vehicle's OBD-II port every time an emissions test occurs. Due to the volume of the number of vehicles subject to these emissions testing procedures, the diagnostic cable can quickly reach the end of its useful life. More problematic is the fact that testing the diagnostic cable to make sure that the diagnostic cable is functioning properly can be difficult, as most facilities where emissions testing occur do not usually have the appropriate equipment to test the diagnostic cable.